Listen to the Silence

by David W. Elliott

Listen to the Silence is a poem, a scream, a bitter cry for help. It is the profoundly moving and shocking experience of an unwanted 14-year-old in the horror-filled halls of a state mental institution. Library "A remarkable novel, filled at once with beautiful imagery and a desperate plea for all the helpless children who bang in silence on the walls of their mental prisons... this novel is something - very special."

Genres: Fiction

279 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while in high school and it was one that made an impression. It's about a boy who's in a mental hospital with adult patients. It's told from his point of view, and the account seems honest and genuine, except for the fact that he comes across more like a 12 year old than the 14 year old he’s supposed to be.

[Meaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't have much of a plot; it was very episodic and not much was explained, which was frustrating. Much of what occurs in the story will horrify people. The protagonist is a 14-year-old boy who is, for unclear reasons, in a mental hospital. (The only explanation he gives is "My foster parents didn't want me anymore.") There are 1500 patients and, I think, about 18 doctors, which may explain why this kid never gets anything resembling psychiatric treatment for whatever's wrong with him, and why one of his roommates dies slowly and painfully from some mysterious illness for which he apparently gets no care. The hospital staff and some of the patients physically and sexually abuse the boy, altering his age in the records so he can be placed in an adult ward. He just drifts along until he is released, just as suddenly and inexplicably as he was admitted.

If anything, the book is worth reading for its beautiful, poetic language. The kind of words and similes that you want to roll around inside your head and savor. That's what made me go to the library to get the prequel to the story. I can only hope the second book has substance as well as style.

[Mary JL · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gripping emotional novel about a 14 year old boy confined in a mental institution.

The book is written in an unusual style---very episodic and not much data. But the feelings experienced by the young narrator are shocking and horrifying. For an unexplained reason, Timmy is confined for some time to the adult ward and his fictitious dairy pulls no punches about the treatment---in this case at least--given to the insane. The crowding; dirt; casual cruelty of some staff; only a few doctors; poor care for almost everything---and more.

Unfortunately this 'fiction' novel probably comes closer to reality in some areas. That thought makes me cringe.

This is not a book to be liked due to the subject matter but it is incredibly well written. The grim images will stay with you.

Not---repeat not--recommended by me for anyone under 18. Despite the photo, this book is definitely not YA,

Very,very highly recommended for adults who want a gripping, moving story.

Read before I joined Goodreads so dates unknown.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was very young and it was profoundly shocking. I have never forgotten it.

[Linda]

Bad

[Felicia Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shocking. Nauseating. Episodic. Stream of consciousness. Vulgar. Raw. Dark. Shattering.

I was afraid to give this 5 stars due to the gutting contents, yet it was so brilliantly written from the mind of teen boy in an adult mental health facility that I couldn’t give it less than 4.75 stars. After every break in paragraph and chapter, you never knew where he was going to wake next.

“Reality is a funny thing. There are no defenses against it except madness.”

“I guess if some didn’t hurt then others wouldn’t feel good.”

“Time doesn’t heal. It opens old wounds and starts new ones.”

“Knowledge is a painful thing isn’t it.”

[Hallie Cantor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harrowing and pessimistic novel about a boy, Tim, who ends up in a state sanitarium after being bandied about among foster homes. The place is truly a "snake pit" -- overcrowded, underfunded, a hellhole where criminals are lumped together with juvenile offenders, autistics, and schizophrenics. Sexual predation abounds among staff and patients alike, as well as exploitation of runaways and delinquents.

The style in general is poetic and snarky. The fourteen-year-old protagonist seems precocious, if not obnoxious, observing everything with cynicism instead of wonder. The novel has no plot but is written episodically, as Tim wanders around, occasionally making himself useful by cafeteria work and being shuffled from one ward to the next. He develops an unrequited interest in one of the girls, who is vaguely portrayed. The only sympathetic character is the leader of a gang in the adult psycho ward, who takes pity of Tim and takes him under his wing.

The author apparently wrote from personal experience. The rampant neglect is shocking, as well as the paucity of regular doctors or professionals. Yet, sadly, the patients, all of whom are creepy or repulsive, seem to bring about their own self-destruction, which raises the issue of nature vs. nurture. Blaming society for disturbance has become fashionable, but to what extent is an individual, particularly a legal minor, held accountable? There are glimpses of Tim's childhood -- abuse and scorn from family members -- that hint at a learning disability and genetic predisposition. Clearly Tim had exhibited mental health issues long beforehand -- e.g., tormenting a young girl -- and over the years his illness apparently deepened. But given its constant recurrence, there is no real hope for redemption here.

While in the sanitarium, Tim comes across as maladjusted, possibly with a personality disorder rather than psychosis, although he experiences a breakdown following the death of a roommate. There is no happy ending, no magical "cure." Tim gains neither insight nor empathy; instead of improved, he becomes hardened and resentful of authority -- befriending a psychopath and behaving cruelly toward a shy and sensitive younger boy. The novel ends with ambiguity: Tim, considered well enough to be released and placed into the custody of relatives, disses them on the ride home; the aunt, seated in the front, glares at him with loathing. Hence, the tragedy is reinforced: children like him cause rejection by creating it. What's in store? Probably another institution or foster home.

This book is well crafted, although dated, given our greater understanding of mental illness, treatments, and improved social services. But while absorbing, it is hardly satisfying.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was around 16. I'm not even sure how I found this book at that age. It was an incredibly disturbing read that had my rapt attention. The style and subject matter were unique to me and I'd never read anything so so dark. Probably not a good read for that age group, though it opened my eyes to a world that I would not have otherwise seen....or needed to see? Because of this, high-school-me had to lend it to a friend...who found it in their books 20 years later, remembered I was the one who gave him the book, and then mailed it directly back to me. He was afraid someone would find it in his trash.

[luisa :] · Rating 3 out of 5]

the storytelling is brilliant and poetic, even if at times hard to penetrate.
❝ ... And I say, you're not insane, you're just ridiculous and we laugh in ten different languages. ❞
❝ He may be crazy but he's also magnificent. ❞

[Nik · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books. It was full of run on sentences which made it hard to follow at times, but regardless I absolutely loved it. I’m a sucker for a good asylum book every now and then.